Marie Laurencin

(1883-1956) French

Laurencin was a painter, designer, and illustrator who found success despite the male-dominated art world of her time. She began her studies in porcelain design at the École de Sèvres factory before moving on to painting at the Académie Humbert in Paris. At the time, between 1903 and 1904, classes were free for women. While there, she met Georges Braque and Francis Picabia, who introduced her to their inner circle of artists, including those who participated in the Le Bateau-Lavoir workshop in Montmarte, the quarter of Paris in which Laurencin was born.